envied him: but his father confidered the thing with himself in filence. And when his brethren were in Sichem feeding their father's flocks, Ifrael said to him: Thy brethren are feeding the fheep in Sichem: come, I will fend thee to them. And when he anfwered: I am ready: he faid to him: Go, and fee if all things be well with thy brethren and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. Being fent therefore from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem: And a man found him wandering in the field, and afked him, what he fought: and he anfwered: I feek my brethren: tell me where they are feeding the flocks. And the man faid to him: They are gone from hence: but I heard them fay: Let us go to Dothain. Jofeph therefore went after his brethren, and found them in Dothain. Who when they faw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they refolved to kill him; and said one to another: Behold, here cometh the dreamer: come, let us kill him, and caft him into an old pit: and we will fay: fome wild beast hath devoured him: and then it will appear what his dreams will avail him. But Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and faid: Do not take away his life, nor fhed his blood: but cast him into this pit: which is in the defert, and keep your hands guiltlefs. Now he faid this, being defirous to rescue him out of their hands, and to restore him to his father.

GRADUAL. P. 119. I cried out to the Lord in my diftrefs, and he heard me. V. Deliver my foul, O Lord, from wicked lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

TRACT. Deal not with us, O Lord, p. 29.

GOSPEL. Matt. xxi. 33, 46.

T that time Jefus fpoke to the multitude of the Jews, and to the chief priests this parable: There was a certain houfholder, who planted a vineyard, and hedged it about, and fixed in it a

wine-prefs, and built a tower, and letting it out to some husbandmen, went to a far country. And when the season for fruit drew near, he fent his fervants to the husbandmen, to receive the fruit of his vineyard. And the husbandmen laying hold of his fervants, one they beat, another they killed, and another they ftoned. He fent again other fervants more in number than the former, and they treated them in like manner. And last of all, he sent to them his Son, faying: They will have refpect for my Son. But the hufbandmen, seeing the Son, faid among themselves: This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance. And feizing him, they dragged him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When the Mafter therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do to these husbandmen? They fay to him: He will miferably deftroy thofe wicked men, and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, who fhall give him the fruit in their feafons. Jefus faith to them: Have you never read in the fcriptures: The ftone, which the builders rejected, is become the chief corner-ftone: this is done by the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore I fay to you, the kingdom of God fhall be taken from you, and given to a nation, that will bring forth the fruits thereof. And whoever fhall fall on this ftone, fhall be broken: and on whomfoever it fhall fall, it fhall crush him. And when the chief priests and Pharifees had heard his parables, they knew he spoke of them. And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the people, becaufe they held him for a prophet.

OFFERTORY. P. 39. Look down to my aid, O Lord, let them be put to confufion and fhanie, who feek my life: look down to my aid, O Lord.

SECRET.

AY the effects of this facrifice, O Lord, remain in us, and be increased by good works.

MA

Thro'.

COMMUNION. Pf. 11. Thou wilt defend us, O Lord, and protect us both now and for evermore.

POSTCOMMUNION.

G

Fac nos. Rant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that, having received this pledge of our eternal falvation, we may fo direct our courfe thereto, as happily to arrive at it. Thro'.

Let us pray. Bow down your heads to God.

G

PRAYER. Da, quæfumus.

Rant, we beseech thee, O Lord, to thy people health both of foul and body, that, by the continual practice of good works, they may always be defended by thy powerful protection. Thro'.

Ant. Quærentes eum timuerunt tur

tenere

The COMMEMORATION at VESPERS. Anth. Defigning to apprehend him, they were afraid of the multitude, because they efteemed him as a prophet.

bam, quia, ficut prophetam eum habebant.

V. and R. as above, p. 27. Prayer. Da,

quæfumus.

INTROIT. }

SATURDAY.

TH

MASS.

HE law of the Lord is without Pf. 18. reproof, and converteth fouls; the teftimony of the Lord is true, and beftoweth wisdom on little ones. Pf. The heavens publish the glory of God; and the firmament declareth the works of his hands. V. Glory.

COLLECT. Da, quæfumus.

Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, this faving

effect of our faft, that the chaftisement of the flesh, which we have undertaken, may become the improvement of our fouls. Thro'.

LESSON. Gen. xxvii. 5, 39.

IN thofe days: Rebecca faid to her fon Jacob: I heard thy father speak to thy brother Efau, and fay to him: Bring me in fomething of thy hunting, and make it ready for me, that I may eat and bless thee in the fight of the Lord, before I die. Now therefore, my fon, take my counfel: and going to the flock, bring me two of the best kids, that I may make thereof for thy father meat fuch as he liketh which thou fhalt carry in, that when he hath eat it, he may blefs thee before he dieth. To whom Jacob answered: Thou knoweft my brother Efau is an hairy man, and I am smooth. If my father fhould touch me, and perceive it, I fear, he will think, I would have deceived him, and Í fhall bring a curfe upon me, inftead of a bleffing. His mother faid to him: Let this curfe fall upon me, my fon; obey thou only my voice, and go, fetch me what I told thee. He went, and brought them, and gave them to his mother. And the dreffed them, as the knew his father liked them. And the put him on the beft garments of Efau, which she had at home by her; and covered his hands and the bare of his neck with the fkins of the kids. And he gave him the meat, and delivered to him the bread, fhe had made. Which he carried in, and faid: My father. And he anfwered: I hear. Who art thou, my fon? And Jacob anfwered, I am Efau thy firft-born: I have done as thou commandedst me: arife, fit, and eat of my hunting, that thy foul may blefs me. Then Ifaac faid to his fon: How couldft thou find it fo quickly, my fon? Who answered: It was the will

of God, that what I wanted, came presently in my way. And Ifaac faid come near me, that I may touch thee, my fon, and feel, whether thou art my fon Efau, or no. And he came near his fa ther, and Ifaac having felt him, faid: The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Efau. And he knew him not, because his hairy hands refembled those of his elder brother. Bleffing him therefore he faid: Art thou my fon Efau? He answered: I am. And he said: Bring me the meat of thy hunting, my fon, that my foul may bless thee. Which when he had eat, he gave him wine alfo: and having drunk it, he faid to him: Come near, and kifs me, my fon: and he came near and kiffed him. And as foon as he perceived the perfume of his clothes, he bleffed him, and faid: Behold the perfume of my fon is as the fmell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath bleffed. May God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatnefs of the earth, plenty of corn and wine. May people ferve thee, and tribes adore thee: be thou Lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's fons bow down before thee. Be he curfed, that curfeth thee; and may he be filled with bleffings, who bleffeth thee. Ifaac had fcarce made an end of fpeaking, when Jacob being gone out, Efau came, and brought into his father meat, which he had taken in hunting; and he faid to him: Arife, my father, and eat of thy fon's hunting, that thy foul may blefs me. Ifaac faid to him: Who art thou? Who answered, I am Efau thy firft-born. Ifaac was ftrangely furprised; and, being feized with admiration beyond all that can be believed, faid: Who is he then, that hath already brought me of his hunting, and I have eat of all before thou didft come? And I bleffed him, and he shall be blessed. When Efau heard what his father faid, he broke out into a bitter cry, and being ftruck, faid: Bless me alfo, my father. And he answered: Thy bro